I would like to use agave nectar as a natural sweetener and it has a low glycemic index. However, I have not see it mentioned anywhere, so I was wondering how it worked in terms of the blocks. Thanks.

I hope Sears will work with it. I used to use it, but it is a carb, has calories. But it is low glycemic. so, what if it were a favorable carb, but only in a small amount. that would be so cool! meanwhile I use stevia. Sparingly.

Hi Elizabeth!

Agave nectar would be a carb that should be used in moderation. One block of any carb food would be the amount of the particular food the contains 9 grams of insulin stimulating carb (insulin stimulating carb in the total carb minus total fiber). You can most likely find the nutritional info needed to calculate this in an online nutrition database. You're welcome!

I saw this product in Costco with claims of it being "low glycemic" which is odd to me, because it has the same amount of carbs (or more, depending on the brand) per tablespoon that honey does, and hardly any fiber.

What is the difference between Zone calculation of "carbs - fiber" to get the 'net carbs' / 9 = 1 block; and how "low-glycemic index" foods are calculated?

I did find this on nutritiondata (dot) com :

"Understanding Glycemic Load

The Glycemic Load is the most practical way to apply the Glycemic Index to dieting, and is easily calculated by multiplying a food's Glycemic Index (as a percentage) by the number of net carbohydrates in a given serving. Glycemic Load gives a relative indication of how much that serving of food is likely to increase your blood-sugar levels.

GL = GI/100 x Net Carbs
(Net Carbs are equal to the Total Carbohydrates minus Dietary Fiber)

As a rule of thumb, most nutritional experts consider Glycemic Loads below 10 to be "low," and Glycemic Loads above 20 to be "high." Because Glycemic Load is related to the food's effect on blood sugar, low Glycemic Load meals are often recommended for diabetic control and weight loss.

Note: For a more extensive discussion of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load, please see ND's Glycemic Index page.

Ayesha, thanks fro posting that information. Yes, GL (glycemic Load) is inportant. Barry Sears explains the recommended glycemic load of Zone meals in his books, as well as how to calculate it.